Valencia’s Sustainable Tourism Initiatives

Valencia, the third-largest city in Spain, has begun measuring and monitoring the carbon emissions that directly result from tourist activity as part of its new sustainable tourism strategy, becoming the first city in the world to do so.

Sustainability at the Core

Valencia has been progressing towards a greener future for years, with sustainability as a cornerstone of the city’s tourism strategy. The city’s tourism board recently conducted a thorough study to assess the sources of carbon emissions resulting from tourist activities across ten areas, which include:

• Water management
• Waste management
• Transport to and around the city
• Accommodation

The findings revealed that tourism was responsible for 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019, with a staggering 81% of those emissions attributed to transport to the city. Interestingly, transport within the city contributed to less than 1% of the total emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Insights

Moreover, the study indicated that the greenhouse gases emitted by tourist activity are comparable to one-third of the carbon footprint created by the food consumption of the city’s residents.

“In 2015, when the Valencia 2020 Strategic Plan began to take shape, the city made a commitment to develop a sustainable tourism model that was more integrated and accessible for both citizens and visitors,” stated Emiliano García, councillor for tourism of the Valencia City Council. Furthermore, García highlighted that the city engages in environmental projects at a European level while working locally to enhance sustainability credentials with the involvement of various stakeholders. Their collaborative effort with Global Omnium, a Valencian water management company, was pivotal in calculating the carbon footprint generated by tourism, thereby allowing for better audits. This endeavor has certainly placed Valencia in a leadership position regarding sustainable destination management.

Aim for Carbon Neutrality

Valencia is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral destination by 2025, striving to position itself as the world’s leading tourist destination with zero environmental impact. Future initiatives will include:

• Exploring the feasibility of a fully electric public transport system
• Increasing the number of plants within the city’s parks to enhance carbon absorption

“The focus will be on reducing the direct consumption of petroleum-derived fuels, improving energy efficiency, and minimizing energy consumption from non-renewable sources,” García elaborated. He also mentioned promoting local products and services, bolstering the local economy, and monitoring the carbon footprint of establishments to implement effective reduction and compensation measures.